Someone Started a new game with me that I didn't want to play

Someone started a new game with me. Instead of receiving a challenge notification, I received their first move. I did not want to play this game, but felt I had to so as not to negatively impact my rating. Previously when I received a challenge, I got a challenge notification for me to accept or reject before I got a move. Once the person sent the move was there anyway for me to reject the game?

@cook-ely said
Someone started a new game with me. Instead of receiving a challenge notification, I received their first move. I did not want to play this game, but felt I had to so as not to negatively impact my rating. Previously when I received a challenge, I got a challenge notification for me to accept or reject before I got a move. Once the person sent the move was there anyway for me to reject the game?

Anyone can challenge anyone by creating a game which the opponent can choose to accept or refuse. If you receive a challenge, you accept the challenge by making a move.

If you then change your mind, you have the option to delete the game by clicking the delete button next to the game on your MyGames page. This option only exists until the second move is completed. After that, the only way out is to resign or just move the game to your Archive folder and forget about it and take the rating loss. One game won't have any real impact on your rating.

Notifications are an optional extra, you shouldn't expect to get them. The game appearing is all the notification you need.

It's a common practice on this site to delete unwanted games. Mostly it's for too many games already, personal stuff happening in the real world, or suspicion of a possible sandbagger. No reason is usually given or expected.

@Kewpie
Thank you. So it is normal for the challenge to come with a first move already played? And I can delete the game before I make a second move?

@cook-ely said
@Kewpie
Thank you. So it is normal for the challenge to come with a first move already played? And I can delete the game before I make a second move?

If your opponent plays white: yes they can move imidiately, you can still elete the cgame, as long as black hasn't moved twice.

@Cook-Ely
You can also go to 'my settings' and adjust your challenge settings, including a maximum games limit. If you set that to zero, you will not get any challenges.

If you make any changes in your settings, be sure to go to the bottom of the page and click the update button once you have changed any settings.